Improvement in snow-plows



M. B. SPAFFORD.

Car-Track Clearer.

Patented July 19. 1859.

AM. PHOTO'LITHOJZO. NNJOSBORNE'S PROCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

M. B. SPAFFORD, OF XVARSAVV, NEVV'YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SNOW-FLOWS.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 24,829, dated July19, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, M. B. SPAFFORD, of l/Varsaw, in the county ofXVyomin g and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Snow-Excavators; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the constructionand operation of the same, reference bein had to the annexed drawings,forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top view ofthe excavator, and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same.

Similar characters of reference in the several figures denote the samepart.

The object of my invention is the removal of snow from railroads, itsaction being to cut into the mass upon the track, and, elevating itabove the surface of the snow, discharge it on the roadside. Theexcavator consists of a vertical shaft placed in front of the locomotiveand driven thereby,having spiral wings, which serve to out and elevatethe snow, as wi11 be described, a horizontal reciprocating cutter closeto the rails acting in connection with the elevator and excavator, forpurposes hereinafter to be set forth.

In the drawings, S is the excavator-shaft, supported in a suitable framein front of the locomotive and driven thereby. Upon this shaft arespiral wings WV W", extending its entire length, the lower edges ofthese wings being nearly horizontal and passing above the reciprocatingnotched bar I). The wings cut into the snow, which by the rotation ofthe shaft is carried upward and discharged from off the wings by theside of the road. The bar 1), which is reciprocated by reason of aneccentric connection with shaft S, runs close to the rails and removesadhering ice.

The excavating and elevating apparatus extends over a single track,though, if it be necessary, more than one shaft may be used and a widerexcavation be made.

The advantage of this apparatus lies in the fact that the snow has notto be pressed laterally in removing it from the track, which is anoperation extremely diiiicult in deep drifts.

Disclaiming horizontal shafts with spiral wings for the removal of snowfrom railroads, as such have been used before, I claim- The verticalrotary shaft S with its spiral wings XV W", for the removal of snow fromthe railroad-track.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name before twosubscribing witnesses.

M; B. SPAFFORD. Witnesses:

ALONZO CHoArE, S. S. ELDRIDGE.

